DNREC Fish & Wildlife Enforcement Blotter: May 7-14Reminder for the week: Boaters, be prepared before you put your vessel in the water

DOVER (May 17, 2013) – To achieve public compliance through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife Enforcement agents between May 7 and 14 made 1,757 contacts with anglers, hunters, boaters and the general public, including 94 boating safety/fishing regulation compliance checks. Agents responded to 29 complaints and issued 27 citations, seven of which were associated with increased Fish and Wildlife Enforcement presence at the C&D Canal Wildlife Area and the associated recreational trail currently under construction. Incidents of particular note included:

·On May 13, charges were dismissed against John J. Ament Jr., 57, of Milford, after he agreed to donate a full-body mounted wild turkey to the Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section for use as a decoy to help in apprehending violators of Delaware’s wild turkey laws and regulations. On April 4, Mr. Ament was charged with two counts of offering for sale antlered deer, one count of commercialization of wildlife and one count of international wildlife trafficking in connection with illegally offering mounted deer heads, turkeys and a bear for sale online.

·On May 10, John Kleinstuber, 52, of Bethany Beach, was cited and fined for tampering with a non-commercial crab pot.

Citations issued by violation type included the following, with the number of charges in parentheses:

Wildlife Conservation:Operating a motor vehicle off an established roadway in a state wildlife area (3), and operating a non-licensed motor vehicle in a state wildlife area (2), New Castle County.

Public Safety: Driving with license suspended/revoked (2), New Castle County.

Other: Loitering (1), Sussex County.

Are you AWARE?The Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section and its Office of Boating Safety encourages boaters to make sure their vessel is ready for a trouble-free day enjoying Delaware’s waterways by performing a pre-departure check. Before leaving home, you should have:

·Enough life jackets for everyone on board, including children, who are required to wear them; for vessels 16 feet or more in length, a throwable life preserver is also required;

·Checked the local weather forecast;

·Left a float plan with a friend, family member or local marina;

·Checked for working navigation lights, steering and throttle controls;

·Checked oil, fuel and fluid levels;

·Checked for fuel leaks, including hose clamps and connections;

·Drained all water from the engine compartment or bilge, replaced and secured the bilge plug;

·A fully charged engine battery and fire extinguishers; and

·Emergency flares and a fully charged cell phone or marine radio.

For more information on boating safety, pick up a copy of the Handbook of Delaware Boating Laws and Responsibilities at the DNREC licensing desk, or visit Delaware_Boating_Safety on the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife website. For more on Delaware’s boating laws, please visit Boating Regulations.

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters and boaters who comply with and support Delaware’s fishing, hunting and boating laws and regulations. Citizens are encouraged to report fish and wildlife and boating violations to the Delaware Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section by calling 302-739-4580. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030 or online at www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Hunting/Pages/OpGameTheft.aspx .